Autumn arrives

 1.5.2024

 

May day, and we are enjoying lovely sunny weather.  Edd and I joined forces for a garden blitz, and have planted out more winter vegetables.  This week we have been eating salads, leaks, and the occasional snow peas plus the first of the pumpkins and frozen beans. We even managed a round of silver beat.  The fig harvest is over and the tomato plants pulled out.  I have been digging up potatoes and we had the tiny ones with butter and parsley for dinner last night.

 

The new chooks have started to lay and the goats are coming into season so everything is happening in an ordered way.  This is so different from what we hear about the rest of the world. Here, in Australia, there has been several knife attacks and with the news from America one can only assume we are seeing the collapse of an empire ushered in by a past president. Meanwhile insurance is rapidly becoming unaffordable as natural disasters pile up on each other.

The only change here is that the kangaroos are getting bolder. Every morning they are grazing just outside the house and on Monday I saw two large males in a boxing fight just by the gate.  If we drive at night we have to go very slowly and keep a good look out for all the animals that dash in front of the car.  I have not seen so many deer so maybe the anti-deer program had some effect. The samba deer are huge and ugly and particularly inclined to suicide moves.

 

I don’t think we need a rewilding program but perhaps I need to look and find out if we have any remaining stag trees.  The oldest gum trees develop holes that form homes for native animals and birds. At present stag trees are still being cut down in the forests. If this is followed by fires we could speed up an already alarming extinction rate.  I fear Australia is failing dismally in the move towards reclaiming a sustainable environment for flora, and fauna including humans.

Art, soap and winter vegetables

 21.4.2024

 

We are now getting a few sunny rain free days which prompt more outdoor activity. We went to Seymour last weekend for the alternative expo. This was great, much more like a traditional farm show with animals, machinery, tanks and farm gear for sale. We picked up a bag of seaweed meal for the goats that I ordered to save on postage fees. It was a great day out and I wish I had brought some of the plants I fancied. Too late for remorse now!

 

Also last week Bo invited us to the opening of her art show. She had her works displayed with those of a more established artist on a theme about country.  It was an unusual art exhibition. Bo sold 9 pictures straight away and we were all treated to Simon’s beer and cider instead of the usual wine!  Even more unusual was the huge about of interest in the frames that Stevo and Josh made for all Bo’s work. 

 

This week has been less eventful.  My big achievement has been making a year’s supply of goats’ milk and olive oil soap.  I do not really like soap making so I put this chore off as long as possible.  I knew that it takes soap about 3 months to cure so I actually had to buy soap at the Seymour show, to tide us over.  My soap is pretty basic with no fancy colours or scents but it is wonderful for skin. I am still using olive oil I got from Indi years ago but I had to filter it to get the lumps out.

 

We are now eating the last of the tomatoes and the first of the pumpkins. The snow peas are huge with lots of flowers but not much of a crop yet. I have winter brassicas planted and doing battle with slugs and snails but at least the cabbage white butterflies are gone. We have started to light the wood stove some nights to heat up the water when the sun does not shine.  The nights are cold but we have not lit the fire yet.  I have set up my spinning wheel and begun knitting for Al’s boys. It is that sort of time in the year.